Last Submission & Goodbye

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Hi folks,

I've enjoyed a great relationship with Smart Photo Editor, the Anthropics Team, SPE Forum members and friends I have made along the way. Of recent, I have become disappointed at the level of interaction on the forum and the lack of development of Smart Photo Editor itself, although, I note that quite a few Contributers have uploaded new effects over the last year or so (which is great). I don't have the energy any more to invest in trying to do new things or create new effects. Working with SPE has become very routine and seems to stifling my creativity. Besides the effects and tools, the most important thing for me has been the COMPOSITE feature. I find the selection tools very frustrating and think that they need more development. I could offer constructive criticism on many aspects of SPE and indeed I've made my views known in the past to the development team. But on the whole I have much praise for this wonderful program, but I'm saddened that it has not been developed further to unlock much of the potential that I think exists. I know that the program was never intended to be a drawing and paint program and was designed mainly to enhance photographs. I saw the immense potential to use the program as a creative tool to produce PhotoArt and hopefully contributed to this end. I know that Anthropics is having a major impact with their other industry leading software and I wish them every success. No doubt, for commercial reasons, they have to concentrate their efforts on keeping ahead of the field with their major products. My frustration is that SPE feels unfinished - great program that could be even better - maybe one day things will change.

The term 'Same old, same old' comes to mind when working with Smart Photo Editor - I can get it to do many things, but increasingly I have to go to other programs to achieve the results I want because of the lack of an array of manual tools. I have, quite frankly, become a bit 'fed-up' using the software and, as I said above, it now seems to stifle my creativity.

I have decided that I will no longer use SPE and will remove it from my computer at the end of February - I will check out any comments [if any] (and reply) until that time.

Here is my last submission:

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[andrewb2012 Profile]

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[andrewb2012 Profile]

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[andrewb2012 Profile]

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To all my SPE friends and the folks at Anthropics - I wish you all the BEST for the future and I've enjoyed our interactions over the years - I hope you can understand my feelings as I go on to try out new things. As you will see (from a recent post) I am currently going through thousands of past images (and current ones too) and uploading to unsplash.com where they can be freely used by whoever to help them in their creative endeavours. I am going to concentrate more on reading (maybe writing too) and playing guitar and ukulele.

Have a happy and creative future.

Kindest regards,

Andrew

[william b. grice Profile]

Andrew: Sorry to read you are leaving SPE, always enjoyed your photos...... I suppose we all know when its time for a change.

[Richard Briggs Profile]

Sorry to see you go Andrew.

My frustration with SPE is quite different (although I agree with your views about lack of development of a quite unique product). The main value of SPE over other photo editors is that you can create 'PhotoArt' from almost any photo. No matter how bad. If I take a rubbish photo I can almost guarantee I can transform it into some quite nice piece of photo art using SPE. And therein lies the frustration. Where do you stop? My recent photo of the 'Windy Thing' was taken to show the person who gave it to us as a present. It was a rubbish photo and was taken in a hurry in my dressing gown in the garden in freezing temperatures. But you should see the accolades it received after the 'SPE Treatment' on Facebook. So I now realise that ANY photo can be transformed using SPE to something special. And that's where I have the problem. Problem?? Even I struggle to know why that is a problem. Maybe deep down inside I am one of those who feel that any post processing is 'cheating' whether it be PS or SPE or whatever. But I know it's not that simple.

I will post some interesting pictures soon. They show that in spite of the above I have five large, framed photos on the wall of our house and each one is the result of SPE and everyone who visits has asked about them. Who took them? How did I get them to look like they do? And I think the answer to my dilemma lies here. If you create a piece of photo art then why? Surely it can only be to display it. And the ultimate form of display is framed and on a wall. If you don't do that then why bother? Just writing this, I think, has helped me understand my ,misgivings about SPE.

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Thanks William - time for a change indeed! Take care of yourself and ENJOY SPE (even though I've tired of it a bit) - many happy creations - cheers, Andrew!

Thanks Richard - always enjoyed our interactions and viewing your submissions too. Good to hear your views (which I understand) on using SPE! Keep clicking & processing - all the best & kind regards, Andrew!

[eadams Profile]

Andrew, your announcement about removing SPE from your computer left me really shaken. It is such a radical and final step. Years ago I used one of your effects on the trial version and the result was so magical that I purchased SPE and never looked back.

I agree with your sentiments regarding the unfinished nature of the product. Anthropics stopped development work on SPE a long time ago and it is a real shame. I used to submit suggestions for improving usability, but I have given up completely and have come to the point where I am merely grateful that the product is still available as is. It seems to me that Topazlabs is becoming the market leader in the "instant art" field simply because they are doing so much to push their creative adjustments. SPE is even better at it in my opinion, but it needs to be easier for the layperson to customize effects. I often switch out textures included in an effect with ones that I made myself, but it is too daunting for most users to do.

I still refer back to your tutorials and tips, and re-reading your old forum posts and admiring the artwork you shared gives me much pleasure, as do the effects you have created.

I wish you great satisfaction and joy with your other hobbies and will continue to think of you often. Wishing you and your family a very happy 2019!

Fondly,
Eve

[andrewb2012 Profile]

Hi Eve,

Ever grateful for your considered and kind comments - I will continue to think of you too with great fondness.

I've taken radical steps in my life before where I find myself in a rut. For example, I deleted about 500,000 images in the past because I wanted I fresh start and get the creative juices flowing again. It is dead easy to become complacent and self satisfied with what you create and you can easily get into turning out variants of you previously exciting work - in that sense the processes become the essence and everything loses freshness - "same old, same old" - this term comes to mind. To force myself to consider new approaches and, taking into account my age and health issues, I have decided to withdraw from the SPE community and delete SPE from my computer at the end of this month. My hope is that whatever ventures I pursue, they will feel exciting and fresh and keep my mind more active.

There is always regrets making such decisions, not least interacting with good folks like yourself (I always considered you to be my greatest encourager - in a positive, constructive way - honest critical appraisal delivered with good grace and such that it made you think!). I you wish to keep in contact send me a private massage via the forum and I will send you my email address (if you don't already have it). I would like to keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Andrew